King Charles III will address the British public on Friday, in one of the first public acts of his reign, to respond to the enormous outcry caused by Elizabeth II’s death beyond the borders of his kingdom.
By Belga
UBuckingham Palace announced Friday morning that the British royal family will observe seven days of mourning after Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral. The BBC notes that a date for the funeral of the monarch, who died on Thursday at the age of 96, has not yet been decided.
In a press release, the palace said the mourning period was decided by “His Majesty the King”. The press release concludes that members of the royal family, employees of the royal family and its representatives will observe mourning during their official duties.
Different from the national mourning declared by the British government, this “royal mourning,” which begins this Friday, will be observed by members of the royal family and the monarchy’s staff and ceremonial troops.
Royal funeral
The funeral at Westminster Abbey is expected in about ten days, on Monday, September 19. The Queen will later be buried in the chapel at Windsor Castle.
Museums at Buckingham Palace, royal residences such as Balmoral in Scotland or Sandringham in the east of England will remain open to the public until the funeral, according to the new King Charles III’s services.
Flags are lowered there and remain in place until 8am (0700 GMT) the day after the state mourning. Members of the public are invited to bring flowers to royal residences across the UK, but no books of condolence will be opened as tributes can be left online.
At 1:00 pm local time (12:00 GMT) on Friday, 96 cannonballs will be fired from various locations in London, including Hyde Park and the Tower of London.
The exact order has not yet been formalized. The Queen died on Thursday at Balmoral Castle in the north of Scotland, and her body is due to be flown to London within days via Edinburgh.
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